PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE FACTS

Prescription drug abuse is very dangerous in itself. This is because a lot of drug users may even be subjected to abusing their prescriptions without being aware of it. Granted, others may say there has been an increase in prescription drug abuse cases such as in cocaine, but it is important to know more about the dangers of such a phenomenon.

Nearly a third of people that are over 12 years old have developed symptoms of prescription drug abuse by first being exposed to these drugs in non-medical ways. This makes the usage of prescription drugs a serious matter when it comes to teenagers and young adults.

Studies have shown that that teenagers in the United States are more likely to have abused prescription drugs than illegal street drugs. This is because a lot of teenagers may think that prescription drugs are safe because they were prescribed by the doctor. However, people are ought to remember that prescriptions only work for very specific people.

Many prescription drugs have been categorized by the US Drug Enforcement Administration in the same category as opium or cocaine. This is due to the fact that they have a huge potential in being addictive substances.

A lot of illegal street drugs were also at one time used or prescribed by doctors or psychiatrists but were later banned was they really have observable negative effects. Examples of these are heroin, cocaine, LSD, methamphetamine and Ecstasy.

Unfortunately, prescription drug abuse can prove fatal when they are associated with drugs that are manufactured illegally. The potency of these synthetic drugs that are masqueraded as prescription drugs can create high risks of overdose, such as in painkillers. In fact, it is because of drugs such as OxyContin that a lot of overdose deaths have occurred in the United States.

Under North Carolina law, drugs are actually classified under categories called “Schedules.” There are different penalties for possessing and distributing these substances depending on the “Schedule” they are categorized in.

In fact, North Carolina’s criminal statutes state that it is illegal to possess controlled substances in the state. However, the penalties for such possession depend on the kind of drug, the amount of the drug, and if the individual had previous convictions.